Published: Sunday, April 28, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, April 26, 2013 at 3:33 p.m.

He almost applied when Hendersonville sought a city manager five years ago, but the timing was off for 43-year-old John F. Connet, a husband and father of two. The family was not ready for a move.

But since that day, Connet has waited for another opportunity to come back to the mountains he loves.

His chance came early this year when Hendersonville City Council began working with Chapel Hill’s Developmental Associates LLC to find its next city manager. A posting for the position went live on the Web in January. Connet applied. So did 85 others.

After rounds of questions, background checks, assessment exercises, interviews and a tour, Connet found his city and City Council found their next manager. Mayor Barbara Volk announced Tuesday that Connet will begin work on May 28.

“I’m really excited to get back to Western North Carolina in a city that is as beautiful and has as much going on as Hendersonville does,” Connet told the Times-News Wednesday.

Both sets of his grandparents were from the region, and Connet remembers the area fondly. He graduated from Western Carolina University in August 1992, earning an undergraduate degree in Political Science/Geography. He earned his master’s in Public Administration from Appalachian State University in December 1997.

Connet has managed the city of Clinton — a municipality south of Raleigh with more than 8,600 citizens — for the past 11 years, gaining a wealth of experience.

“I think there are definitely some similar issues (in Clinton and Hendersonville) in the fact that we’ve done a lot of projects in our downtown and I know Hendersonville has, too,” he said.

Clinton was inducted into the North Carolina Main Street Program, a statewide initiative aimed at reviving downtowns through historical preservation, in 1982. Hendersonville joined the network in 1986. Both cities are also getting ready to tackle work in their parks.

Connet admitted that leaving the city he’s called home for 11 years “will be hard,” but said he is “definitely excited about the opportunity” in Hendersonville. During a tour earlier this month, he peered out at his new city and saw a land of opportunity as construction crews labored on the foundation of a new Main Street.

“I always thought that Hendersonville is a beautiful city,” he said.

Connet will be filling the empty seat left by former City Manager Bo Ferguson, who left in December after nearly five years to serve as deputy city manager over operations in Durham.

The City Council hired A. Lee Galloway in December to serve as interim city manager. Galloway retired after a 39-year career in local government management, the last 18 of which were spent in Waynesville. Galloway was contracted to serve as Hendersonville’s interim through the end of May.

<p>He almost applied when Hendersonville sought a city manager five years ago, but the timing was off for 43-year-old John F. Connet, a husband and father of two. The family was not ready for a move. </p><p>But since that day, Connet has waited for another opportunity to come back to the mountains he loves. </p><p>His chance came early this year when Hendersonville City Council began working with Chapel Hill's Developmental Associates LLC to find its next city manager. A posting for the position went live on the Web in January. Connet applied. So did 85 others.</p><p>After rounds of questions, background checks, assessment exercises, interviews and a tour, Connet found his city and City Council found their next manager. Mayor Barbara Volk announced Tuesday that Connet will begin work on May 28.</p><p>“I'm really excited to get back to Western North Carolina in a city that is as beautiful and has as much going on as Hendersonville does,” Connet told the Times-News Wednesday.</p><p>Both sets of his grandparents were from the region, and Connet remembers the area fondly. He graduated from Western Carolina University in August 1992, earning an undergraduate degree in Political Science/Geography. He earned his master's in Public Administration from Appalachian State University in December 1997.</p><p>Connet has managed the city of Clinton — a municipality south of Raleigh with more than 8,600 citizens — for the past 11 years, gaining a wealth of experience. </p><p>“I think there are definitely some similar issues (in Clinton and Hendersonville) in the fact that we've done a lot of projects in our downtown and I know Hendersonville has, too,” he said. </p><p>Clinton was inducted into the North Carolina Main Street Program, a statewide initiative aimed at reviving downtowns through historical preservation, in 1982. Hendersonville joined the network in 1986. Both cities are also getting ready to tackle work in their parks.</p><p>Connet admitted that leaving the city he's called home for 11 years “will be hard,” but said he is “definitely excited about the opportunity” in Hendersonville. During a tour earlier this month, he peered out at his new city and saw a land of opportunity as construction crews labored on the foundation of a new Main Street.</p><p>“I always thought that Hendersonville is a beautiful city,” he said.</p><p>Connet will be filling the empty seat left by former City Manager Bo Ferguson, who left in December after nearly five years to serve as deputy city manager over operations in Durham.</p><p>The City Council hired A. Lee Galloway in December to serve as interim city manager. Galloway retired after a 39-year career in local government management, the last 18 of which were spent in Waynesville. Galloway was contracted to serve as Hendersonville's interim through the end of May.</p><p>Reach Weaver at emily.weaver@blueridgenow.com or 828-694-7867.</p>